Torpedo-obstructing projectile



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A.,CRAWFORD-FROST.

TOR'PEDO OBSTRUCTING PROJECTILE APPLICATION FILED NOV-13, I920.

7- Pgtexited May 10, 1921-.

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I N VEN TOR.

W. A. CRAWFORD-FROST.

TORPEDG OBSTRUCTING PROJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 1920.

1,3'7'?,46 7, Patented May 10, 1921.

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. WILLIAM A. CRAWFORD-FROST, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TOEPEDO OBSTRUCTING PROJECTILE.

To all whom'it'may concern:

Be it known that I, 'WILLIAM A. CRAW- FoRn-F'Ros'r, a citizen of the United States of America, residin in the city of Baltlmore, in the State of aryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Obstructing Projectiles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, 'in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art-to the same. r

This invention relates to projectlles whlch construct and use are shot from .a gun to obstruct torpedoes and its chief object is to provide such a projectile as may be easily loaded lnto'the gun and'fired therefrom effectively, will expand in the air, and, no matter how it"falls into the water, will offer a large surface of net-- work in opposition to an oncomingtorpedo,

and which will cause the course of the torence will behad-to the drawings, wherein there are illustrated the principles of my invention in which Figure 1 1s a plan view of the device as it lies in the water showing the. flotation tube and collapsible but. not foldable transverse arms, extended," in a position to support-respectively the longitudinal or bisecting and "transverse or bisected nets. p Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device loaded into thegunfwith the nets removed to show how, the collapsible armsare held down by a ring. around the; gun "barrel, and how the coil springs and rings for supportlng the longitudinal or bisecting net are compressed showing the: transverse orbisected net ex tended andthe edgeof. the longitudinal or I and-pushed forward on the portion of the flotationtube that is outside the gun: f

Fig. 3is" a front-elevation of'the device bisecting net, also thepointed head of the projectile, arm blocks and arms.

. Fig. 4. is a side elevation showing the Ion-'- gitudinal net extended and theedge of the transverse or bisected net, also the flotation tube, rings for supportingthe longitudinal Specification of Letters Patent.

springs H, H 7 j be able to slide freely along 'the'tube; I is e or bisecting'net coil springsto space rings Patented May 10, 1921. Application fi led. November 13, 1920. Serial No. 423,380. '7 a apart, projectile head, arm blocks,"spri ng1 hinges and the ends of the arms.

Further describing my invention with' reference to the drawings, like letters de' note corresponding parts throughout: B is a flotation tube about twenty to twenty five I feet in length, the diameter of'whichwilldepend upon the weight of the net it is to support. It maybe filled with'hydrogen if necessary, or'it may not be a tube but a SOlICl wooden log if suitable. The front end of B is fastened into the head Ayeither by being screwed in or in any'other suitable manner. attached, by the powerful spring hinges E and E the arm blocks C and C into which are fastened the arms D and D elther by being screwed in or'in anyother suitable manner. The-transverse orabisectedjnet 'L may be of any suitable size, shape, materlal or construction and may be attached to the transverse arms I) andQD either by rings as shown, or by hooks and eyes; or 1n any other preferred"manner;

The longitudinal or bisecting net,.M, of similar material and construction, is attached preferably by closed hooks to the r1ngs G, G G G G etc, which surround the flotation tube. 'These rings should be fiat and wide enough to prevent rocking and sticking when-they are pushed along the tubeby the expansion ofthe coil H H H etc, and must a retaining ring, surrounding the gun barrel Kand fastened to" it by'the chainsJ and J to prevent the ring from being 'dragged off when the gun is fired.

To the sides of the head Aime Operation: Thegun should becharged with a sufficient '..'quantity offa very "slow arms D and D helddown by the ring I, is raised to the level of the gun muzzle; Then the rear end .of the flotation tube is pressed" down into the gun to whatever depth is burning powder.; The projectile, withthe 1 be strong enough to extend the longitudinal i V the chains Jand J either to-ringsin the net they should not be strong enough to overcome the weight of the whole projectile and will rema n compressed on the front sides of the gun or to rings ,lixedinthe deck. The nets can either be lifted off the deck and wrapped loosely aroundithe projectile, or tied beneath it by strings that are strong enough to hold the weight of the" nets but are too weak to withstandthe upward'tension o'fythe arms when they -are.

released and begin to extend. ,When the shot is fired the arms D and D are drawn through the retaining ring I and the projectile flies'out of the gun. So long as the motion of the projectile is 'rapid'the arms remain. down, ascthe .pressure of the air neutralizes the: .upward pressure of the spring hinges E and E so that the strings retain. the nets andthe projectile has a more orless arrow-like shape, but when the motion of the projectile begins to slacken, the

-upward pressure of the arms D and D, breaks the strlngs, the transverse net is car- 1 ried forward .and extended and the coil springs H H H H H etc., on;the flo-- tation tube B extend the rings G, G G G G4, etc, carrying the longitudinal net M 'alongto the full length of the flotation tube.

The device expands in the air and falls into the water with both nets extended, and they instantly sink to the perpendicular, being made preferably ofmetal rings. By having. "the two. nets at right angles to each other there is. always a considerable expanse of net surface in opposition to the torpedo, whereas if only a .single net were used it might fall. parallel with the course of the torpedo and the torpedo would not bellikely to strike it. If the torpedo hits the port f side of the transversenet, it must swing the torpedo to port, as the whole projectile becomes an impediment on the port side of the torpedo, and must act like a rudder harda-port to send the torpedo around in a circle anti-clockwise. If the torpedo should strike the starboard side of the transverse net, it a must swing the torpedo to starboard in a clrcle clockwise. Even if the torpedo should hit the center of the transverse net the fio-' tation tube would guide 1t to one side or the other. If the torpedo should hit the longitrans'verse' net would be likely to make'it turn in their direction. Itwould bepraction in a straight course. The motion of the torpedo would be rapidly slowed by having to push such a mass of impedimenta through the water and the circles would be so small *of its wake.

thatth-e torpedo would be rendered practically harmless. If desirable the arms can be made to lock extended.

. It isobvious-that netcutting devices on rigidly suspended-at a distance from a ship to try to stop a torpedo coming through.

Now that a listening device has been invented which enablespersons on board ship to hear a torpedo several thousandyardsofi',

the invention of torpedo-obstructing projectiles becomes, of tactical significance and practical lmportance. WVhen an .alarm is first sounded if the ship isturned away from the directionlof the sound, only thestern or a portion ofthe hull would require protec-.

tion, and afew of these nets fired as tern would be a safeguard. While the tor edo would be traveling only a small part 0 the distance mentionedithere would-be, ample time to fillthe water behindatheship with;

so many of these netsthat there..w0.ul d be only. a; small chance of the torpedo getting through. In addition to this the gunners being on the alert wouldbe likelytosee the wake and besides firing'the nets.in1a general. direction some could be shot directly across the path of the wake, always allowing for the torpedo being about 150 feet ahead It is believed that the manner in-which the nets, flotation tube, head, arm blocks, arms rings, and coilsprings cooperate in producing a projectile that willbe efiective in obstructing-torpedoes will; be; apparent without further-description,:and whilein the drawings there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, iti sto. be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such variations and mod ifications as fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having therefore described my invention what I claim as newanddesireto secure by Lettersv Patent, of the United, States. is as follows: i V r 1. In a. torpedo-obstructing projectile. the combination of a flotationtube withtw0 transverse arms attached to :the front, end

thereof-by arm blocks and spring Lninges, said arms,.;arm'blocks, and hinges being at all times outsidetheflotationtube. M: tudmal net the, transverse arms and the 2. In a torpedorobstructing, projectile the combination of two netsat-right angles to .each other, one bisecting theqotheru- '3. In a torpedo-obstructing projectile the. combination; of two nets at right angles to each othenaonebisecting theother with a flotation tube supportingthe bisectingmet and two transversearms, attached to the front end of the flotation tube by arm blocks and spring hinges outside the flotation tube,

said transverse arms supporting the bisected net.

4. In a torpedo-obstructing projectile, the combination of two nets at right angles to each other, one bisecting the other, with a flotation tube supporting the bisecting net;

and two transverse arms, attached to the front end' of the flotation tube by arm blocks and spring hinges outside the flotation tube, said transverse arms supporting the bisected net; and the bisecting net being supported by rings on the said flotation tube, said rings a being spaced apart by coil springs.

5. In a torpedo-obstructing projectile, the combination of two nets at right angles to each other, one bisecting the other, with a flotation tube supporting the bisecting net;

and two transverse arms, attached to the flotation tube by arm blocks and spring hinges outside the flotation tube, the said transverse arms supporting the bisected net; i we and the bisecting net beingv supported by and twenty in the presence of the subscribed witnesses.

WILLIAM A. CRAWFORD-FROST.

Witnesses:

" WILLIAM E. SCHUL,

FRANCIS S. KING.

rings on the said flotation tube, the said rings being spaced apart by coil springs; Z5 

